Analysis of tracheal intubation in out-of-hospital helicopter emergency medicine recorded by video laryngoscopy

Video laryngoscopy may improve the intubation outcomes in critically ill patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

BACKGROUND

The role of video laryngoscopy in critically ill patients requiring emergency tracheal intubation remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether video laryngoscopy could improve the clinical outcomes of emergency tracheal intubation.

METHODS

We searched the PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane databases up to 5 September 2024. Randomised controlled trials comparing video laryngoscopy with direct laryngoscopy for emergency tracheal intubation were analysed. The primary outcome was the first-attempt success rate, while secondary outcomes included intubation time, glottic visualisation, in-hospital mortality and complications.

RESULTS

Twenty-six studies (6 in prehospital settings and 20 in hospital settings) involving 5952 patients were analysed in this study. Fifteen studies had low risk of bias. Overall, there was no significant difference in first-attempt success rate between two groups (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.13, p=0.24, I2=89%). However, video laryngoscopy was associated with a higher first-attempt success rate in hospital settings (emergency department: RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.23, p=0.007, I2=85%; intensive care unit: RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.29, p=0.003, I2=68%) and among inexperienced operators (RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.28, p=0.01, I2=72%). Conversely, the first-attempt success rate with video laryngoscopy was lower in prehospital settings (RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.99, p=0.04, I2=95%). There were no differences for other outcomes except for better glottic visualisation (RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.20, p=0.005, I2=91%) and a lower incidence of oesophageal intubation (RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.71, p=0.001, I2=0%) when using video laryngoscopy.

CONCLUSIONS

In hospital settings, video laryngoscopy improved first-attempt success rate of emergency intubation, provided superior glottic visualisation and reduced incidence of oesophageal intubation in critically ill patients. Our findings support the routine use of video laryngoscopy in the emergency department and intensive care units.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD 42023461887.

Quality and safety in prehospital airway management - retrospective analysis of 18,000 cases from an air rescue database in Germany

BACKGROUND

Prehospital airway management remains crucial with regard to the quality and safety of emergency medical service (EMS) systems worldwide. In 2007, the benchmark study by Timmermann et al. hit the German EMS community hard by revealing a significant rate of undetected oesophageal intubations leading to an often-fatal outcome. Since then, much attention has been given to guideline development and training. This study evaluated the incidence and special circumstances of tube misplacement as an adverse peri-intubation event from a Helicopter Emergency Medical Services perspective.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of a German helicopter-based EMS database from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2020. All registered patients were included in the primary analysis. The results were analysed using SPSS 27.0.1.0.

RESULTS

Out of 227,459 emergency medical responses overall, a total of 18,087 (8.0%) involved invasive airway management. In 8141 (45.0%) of these patients, airway management devices were used by ground-based EMS staff, with an intubation rate of 96.6% (n = 7861), and alternative airways were used in 3.2% (n = 285). Overall, the rate of endotracheal intubation success was 94.7%, while adverse events in the form of tube misplacement were present in 5.3%, with a 1.2% rate of undetected oesophageal intubation. Overall tube misplacement and undetected oesophageal intubation occurred more often after intubation was carried out by paramedics (10.4% and 3.6%, respectively). In view of special circumstances, those errors occurred more often in the presence of trauma or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, with rates of 5.6% and 6.4%, respectively. Difficult airways with a Cormack 4 status were present in 2.1% (n = 213) of HEMS patients, accompanied by three or more intubation attempts in 5.2% (n = 11).

CONCLUSIONS

Prehospital airway management success has improved significantly in recent years. However, adverse peri-intubation events such as undetected oesophageal intubation remain a persistent threat to patient safety.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was registered in the German Register for Clinical Studies (number DRKS00028068).

The Impact of Location and Asset Type on the Success of Advanced Airway Management in a Critical Care Transport Environment

OBJECTIVE

Advanced airway management (AAM) is a critical component of prehospital critical care. Airway management in flight can be more challenging because of spatial, ergonomic, and environmental factors. This study examines the frequency of in-flight intubation (IFI), first-pass success (FPS) rates, and definitive airway sans hypoxia/hypotension on first attempt (DASH-1A) across different locations of airway management.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective database analysis of all patients transported between January 2016 and July 2021 who received AAM from a single air medical service. Patient records were reviewed for location of intubation, patient characteristics, and FPS and DASH-1A rates. The primary outcome was the frequency of IFI. The secondary outcomes included FPS and DASH-1A rates by location and type of transport asset.

RESULTS

During the study period, 473 patients required AAM. Three percent (15/473) of patients were intubated in an in-flight setting, 28% (130/473) were intubated on scene, and 70% (328/473) were intubated in a health care facility. The primary reason for IFI was unanticipated cardiac arrest or clinical deterioration. The overall FPS rate was 69% (328/473), and the DASH-1A rate was 49% (194/399). Based on the location of AAM, the FPS and DASH-1A rates were the lowest for on-scene intubations (56% [74/130] and 27% [20/74], respectively). Most of the on-scene AAM took place with rotor wing flight crews.

CONCLUSION

Airway management occurs infrequently in an in-flight setting and is necessary because of patient deterioration or cardiac arrest. Based on our results, we identified opportunities for targeted AAM quality improvement and clinical governance.

Efficacy of endotracheal intubation in helicopter cabin vs. ground: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Pre-hospital endotracheal intubation (ETI) is a sophisticated procedure with a comparatively high failure rate. Especially, ETI in confined spaces may result in higher difficulty, longer times, and a higher failure rate. This study analyses if Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) intubation (time-to) success are influenced by noise, light, and restricted space in comparison to ground intubation. Available literature reporting these parameters was very limited, thus the reported differences between ETI in helicopter vs. ground by confronting parameters such as time to secure airway, first pass success rate and Cormack-Lehane Score were analysed.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Ovid on October 15th, 2022. The database search provided 2322 studies and 6 studies met inclusion and quality criteria. The research was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42022361793).

RESULTS

A total of six studies were selected and analysed as part of the systematic review and meta-analysis. The first pass success rate of ETI was more likely to fail in the helicopter setting as compared to the ground (82,4% vs. 87,3%), but the final success rate was similar between the two settings (96,8% vs. 97,8%). The success rate of intubation in literature was reported higher in physician-staffed HEMS than in paramedic-staffed HEMS. The impact of aircraft type and location inside the vehicle on intubation success rates was inconclusive across studies. The meta-analysis revealed inconsistent results for the mean duration of intubation, with one study reporting shorter intubation times in helicopters (13,0s vs.15,5s), another reporting no significant differences (16,5s vs. 16,8s), and a third reporting longer intubation times in helicopters (16,1s vs. 15,0s).

CONCLUSION

Further research is needed to assess the impact of environmental factors on the quality of ETI on HEMS. While the success rate of endotracheal intubation in helicopters vs. on the ground is not significantly different, the duration and time to secure the airway, and Cormack-Lehane Score may be influenced by environmental factors. However, the limited number of studies reporting on these factors highlights the need for further research in this area.

Predictive and protective factors for failing first pass intubation in prehospital rapid sequence intubation: an aetiology and risk systematic review with meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Prehospital rapid sequence intubation first pass success rates vary between 59% and 98%. Patient morbidity is associated with repeat intubation attempts. Understanding what influences first pass success can guide improvements in practice. We performed an aetiology and risk systematic review to answer the research question 'what factors are associated with success or failure at first attempt laryngoscopy in prehospital rapid sequence intubation?'.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library were searched on March 3, 2023 for studies examining first pass success rates for rapid sequence intubation of prehospital live patients. Screening was performed via Covidence, and data synthesised by meta-analysis. The review was registered with PROSPERO and performed and reported as per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

RESULTS

Reasonable evidence was discovered for predictive and protective factors for failure of first pass intubation. Predictive factors included age younger than 1 yr, the presence of blood or fluid in the airway, restricted jaw or neck movement, trauma patients, nighttime procedures, chronic or acute distortions of normal face/upper airway anatomy, and equipment issues. Protective factors included an experienced intubator, adequate training, use of certain videolaryngoscopes, elevating the patient on a stretcher in an inclined position, use of a bougie, and laryngeal manoeuvres.

CONCLUSIONS

Managing bloody airways, positioning well, using videolaryngoscopes with bougies, and appropriate training should be further explored as opportunities for prehospital services to increase first pass success. Heterogeneity of studies limits stronger conclusions.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL

PROSPERO (CRD42022353609).

Using a Bougie With C-MAC Video Laryngoscopy Did Not Improve First-Attempt Intubation Success Rates in Critical Care Air Transport

OBJECTIVE

Studies have shown a bougie improves first-attempt success rates when used in combination with direct laryngoscopy during the initial attempt. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of a bougie in combination with C-MAC (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany) improves first-attempt success rates of endotracheal intubation (ETI) compared with C-MAC with a traditional stylet.

METHODS

This study is a retrospective chart review using data collected on 371 intubations completed by a single air medical service using the C-MAC laryngoscope and either a bougie or a stylet.

RESULTS

The overall success rate using C-MAC for ETI with either a bougie or a stylet was 83%. There was no statistically significant difference between first-attempt successful intubations using C-MAC and a bougie (82%) or a stylet (86%) (χ1 = 0.871, P = .351). There was no statistically significant difference between laryngoscopy grade and the number of attempts that resulted in a successful intubation (χ1 = 0.743, P = .7).

CONCLUSION

There was no difference between first-attempt success rates using video laryngoscopy with a bougie, overall intubation success rates, or difficult intubation success rates compared with video laryngoscopy with a stylet, indicating that the purpose of a bougie as a rescue device did not hold true in the prehospital setting of our critical care air medical service.

[The correct way to deal with the definitive surgical airway]

Dealing with a difficult airway is familiar to emergency care providers in both the prehospital and clinical settings. In anesthesiology and emergency medical care different algorithms almost equal in their wording have been introduced, indicating that an emergency front of neck airway access (eFONA) has to be established in the case of a cannot ventilate-cannot oxygenate situation. In a survey (Surveymonkey®) data concerning the level of experience with eFONA, devices required, previous training and complications were allocated among acute and emergency care providers of different backgrounds (doctors and paramedics). Furthermore, we asked about individual attitudes to and frequency of previous situations, in which an eFONA was not established despite strong indications. Of the respondents 15% (n = 63) answered that they had experienced this type of situation. eFONA had been performed by 28% of the interviewed (n = 117), reflecting the high number of military and EMT (emergency medical team) physicians participating in the survey. The number of experiences are rarely representative for the civilian setting. Different adjuncts may be helpful to detect the cricothyroid ligament. To use ultrasound seems obvious but it doubles the time for the detection of the cricothyroid ligament. Laryngeal masks can be employed as a supraglottic airway device (SAD) during "plan B". Stabilizing the airway with a SAD almost doubles the success of identifying laryngeal landmarks in females. The crew resource management (CRM) guidelines are more than essential in threatening situations demanding measures like eFONA. Providers should anticipate emerging problems and whenever feasible call for help and finally speak up. Naming a failed airway should be avoided as it implies a failure of the provider or of the entire airway team. In fact, the term non-accessible airway should be introduced. This might help to avoid the implication of a major failure. So far, an ideal simulator to train eFONA has not been introduced but it is mandatory to train procedures and algorithms on different types of simulators and manikins to achieve mastery.

Factors associated with tracheal intubation-related complications in the prehospital setting: a prospective multicentric cohort study

Background Emergency tracheal intubation is routinely performed in the prehospital setting. Airway management in the prehospital setting has substantial challenges. Objective The aim of the present study was to determine risk factors predicting tracheal intubation-related complications on the prehospital field. Setting A prospective, multicentric, cohort study which was conducted in three mobile ICUs (MICUs; service mobile d'urgence et de réanimation).Outcome measures and analysis Tracheal intubation-related complications were defined as the occurrence of at least one of the following events: oxygen desaturation (SpO2 < 90%) during tracheal intubation, aspiration (regurgitation visualized during laryngoscopy), and vomiting. Difficult intubation was defined as more than two failed direct laryngoscopic attempts, or the need for any alternative tracheal intubation method. Multivariate logistic regressions were used. Results During the 5-year study period, 1915 consecutive patients were intubated in the MICUs participating in the study. Overall, 1287 (70%) patients were successfully intubated after the first laryngoscopic attempt, with rates of 90, 74, 42, and 30% for Cormack-Lehane grade 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Tracheal intubation was difficult in 663 cases (36%). Tracheal intubation-related complications occurred in 267 (14%) patients. In the multivariate analysis, we found that the leading risk factors for tracheal intubation-related complications were Cormack and Lehane grade 3 and 4 [odds ratio (OR) = 1.65; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-2.61; and OR = 2.79; 95% CI, 1.56-4.98, respectively], a BMI of more than 30 (OR = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.13-2.28), when intubation was difficult (OR = 1.72; 95% CI, 1.15-2.57), and when tracheal intubation required more than one operator (OR = 2.30; 95% CI, 1.50-3.49).Conclusions In this prospective study, we found that Cormack and Lehane more than grade 2, BMI >30, difficult intubation, and tracheal intubation requiring more than one operator were all independent predictors of tracheal intubation-related complications in the prehospital setting. When these risk factors are identified on scene, adapted algorithms that anticipate the use of a bougie should be generalized to reduce morbidity on the prehospital field.

The effect of a multi-faceted quality improvement program on paramedic intubation success in the critical care transport environment: a before-and-after study

INTRODUCTION

Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is an infrequent but key component of prehospital and retrieval medicine. Common measures of quality of ETI are the first pass success rates (FPS) and ETI on the first attempt without occurrence of hypoxia or hypotension (DASH-1A). We present the results of a multi-faceted quality improvement program (QIP) on paramedic FPS and DASH-1A rates in a large regional critical care transport organization.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective database analysis, comparing FPS and DASH-1A rates before and after implementation of the QIP. We included all patients undergoing advanced airway management with a first strategy of ETI during the time period from January 2016 to December 2021.

RESULTS

484 patients met the inclusion criteria during the study period. Overall, the first pass intubation success (FPS) rate was 72% (350/484). There was an increase in FPS from the pre-intervention period (60%, 86/144) to the post-intervention period (86%, 148/173), p < 0.001. DASH-1A success rates improved from 45% (55/122) during the pre-intervention period to 55% (84/153) but this difference did not meet pre-defined statistical significance (p = 0.1). On univariate analysis, factors associated with improved FPS rates were the use of video-laryngoscope (VL), neuromuscular blockage, and intubation inside a healthcare facility.

CONCLUSIONS

A multi-faceted advanced airway management QIP resulted in increased FPS intubation rates and a non-significant improvement in DASH-1A rates. A combination of modern equipment, targeted training, standardization and ongoing clinical governance is required to achieve and maintain safe intubation by paramedics in the prehospital and retrieval environment.

Airway management during ongoing chest compressions-direct vs. video laryngoscopy. A randomised manikin study

BACKGROUND

Tracheal intubation is used for advanced airway management during cardiac arrest, particularly when basic airway techniques cannot ensure adequate ventilation. However, minimizing interruptions of chest compressions is of high priority. Video laryngoscopy has been shown to improve the first-pass success rate for tracheal intubation in emergency airway management. We aimed to compare first-pass success rate and time to successful intubation during uninterrupted chest compression using video laryngoscopy and direct laryngoscopy.

METHODS

A total of 28 anaesthetists and 28 anaesthesia nurses with varied clinical and anaesthesiological experience were recruited for the study. All participants performed a tracheal intubation on a manikin simulator during ongoing chest compressions by a mechanical resuscitation device. Stratified randomisation (physicians/nurses) was performed, with one group using direct laryngoscopy and the other using video laryngoscopy.

RESULTS

First-pass success rate was 100% (95% CI: 87.9% - 100.0%) in the video laryngoscopy group and 67.8% (95% CI: 49.3% - 82.1%) in the direct laryngoscopy group [difference: 32.2% (95% CI: 17.8% - 50.8%), p<0.001]. The median time for intubation was 27.5 seconds (IQR: 21.8-31.0 seconds) in the video laryngoscopy group and 30.0 seconds (IQR: 26.5-36.5 seconds) in the direct laryngoscopy group (p = 0.019).

CONCLUSION

This manikin study on tracheal intubation during ongoing chest compressions demonstrates that video laryngoscopy had a higher first-pass success rate and shorter time to successful intubation compared to direct laryngoscopy. Experience in airway management and professional group were not significant predictors. A clinical randomized controlled trial appears worthwhile.

Stability of Drugs Stored in Helicopters for Use by Emergency Medical Services: A Prospective Observational Study

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Drugs stored in rescue helicopters may be subject to extreme environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to measure whether drugs stored under the real-life conditions of a Swiss helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) would retain their potency over the course of 1 year.

METHODS

A prospective, longitudinal study measuring the temperature exposure and concentration of drugs stored on 2 rescue helicopters in Switzerland over 1 year. The study drugs included epinephrine, norepinephrine, amiodarone, midazolam, fentanyl, naloxone, rocuronium, etomidate, and ketamine. Temperatures were measured inside the medication storage bags and the crew cabins at 10-minute intervals. Drug stability was measured on a monthly basis over the course of 12 months using high-performance liquid chromatography. The medications were considered stable at a minimum remaining drug concentration of 90% of the label claim.

RESULTS

Temperatures ranged from -1.2 °C to 38.1 °C (29.84 °F to 100.58 °F) inside the drug storage bags. Of all the temperature measurements inside the drug storage bags, 37% lay outside the recommended storage conditions. All drugs maintained a concentration above 90% of the label claim. The observation periods for rocuronium and etomidate were shortened to 7 months because of a supply shortage of reference samples.

CONCLUSION

Drugs stored under the real-life conditions of Swiss HEMS are subjected to temperatures outside the manufacturer's approved storage requirements. Despite this, all drugs stored under these conditions remained stable throughout our study. Real-life stability testing could be a way to extend drug exchange intervals.

The Use of Video Laryngoscopy Did Not Lead to Greater First-Pass or Overall Success Rates Compared to Direct Laryngoscopy in Pediatric Intubation in a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesized that video laryngoscopy (VL) would significantly increase the first attempt and final success rates over direct laryngoscopy (DL) in helicopter emergency medical services.

METHODS

This was a study of an emergency medical service in the Midwestern United States. Pediatric patients (age < 18 years) transported between January 1, 2010, and July 31, 2016, with an attempted intubation were identified. Demographics (age group and sex), first-pass success (FPS), and total attempts by intubation type were abstracted and compared with a historical control.

RESULTS

Fifty-five pediatric patient runs were abstracted (DL: n = 28, VL: n = 27). There were no significant differences between the DL and VL groups based on sex (DL: 54% male, VL: 70% male; P = .200) or age group (P = .239). Analyses of FPS between DL and VL showed no difference (DL: 82.1% success vs. VL: 70.4% success; P = .304). There was no difference for final success rate between DL and VL (DL: 85.7%, VL: 96.3%; P = .172). A significantly larger number of difficult airways were reported in the VL group (37.0%) compared with DL (7.1%, P = .007).

CONCLUSION

VL did not improve FPS over DL nor did it improve the final endotracheal intubation success rate over DL. The VL group had more airways reported as being difficult by the flight crew than the DL group.

Airway management in a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS): a retrospective observational study of 365 out-of-hospital intubations

Background

Airway management is a key skill in any helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS). Intubation is successful less often than in the hospital, and alternative forms of airway management are more often needed.

Methods

Retrospective observational cohort study in an anaesthesiologist-staffed HEMS in Switzerland. Patient charts were analysed for all calls to the scene (n = 9,035) taking place between June 2016 and May 2017 (12 months). The primary outcome parameter was intubation success rate. Secondary parameters included the number of alternative techniques that eventually secured the airway, and comparison of patients with and without difficulties in airway management.

Results

A total of 365 patients receiving invasive ventilatory support were identified. Difficulties in airway management occurred in 26 patients (7.1%). Severe traumatic brain injury was the most common indication for out-of-hospital Intubation (n = 130, 36%). Airway management was performed by 129 different Rega physicians and 47 different Rega paramedics. Paramedics were involved in out-of-hospital airway manoeuvres significantly more often than physicians: median 7 (IQR 4 to 9) versus 2 (IQR 1 to 4), p < 0.001.

Conclusion

Despite high overall success rates for endotracheal intubation in the physician-staffed service, individual physicians get only limited real-life experience with advanced airway management in the field. This highlights the importance of solid basic competence in a discipline such as anaesthesiology.

Video screen visualization patterns when using a video laryngoscope for tracheal intubation: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Published studies of video laryngoscopes are often limited by the lack of a clear definition of video laryngoscopy (VL). We performed a systematic review to determine how often published studies of VL report on video screen visualization.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, EMBASE and Scopus for interventional and observational studies in which a video laryngoscope equipped with a standard geometry blade was used for tracheal intubation. We excluded simulation based studies. Our primary outcome was data on video laryngoscope screen visualization. Secondary outcomes were explicit methodology for screen visualization.

RESULTS

We screened 4838 unique studies and included 207 (120 interventional and 87 observational). Only 21 studies (10% of 207) included any data on video screen visualization by the proceduralist, 19 in a yes/no fashion only (ie, screened viewed or not) and 2 with detail beyond whether the screen was viewed or not. In 11 more studies, visualization patterns could be inferred based on screen availability and in 16 more studies, the methods section stated how screen visualization was expected to be performed without reporting data collection on how the proceduralist interacted with the video screen. Risk of bias was high in the majority of included studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Published studies of VL, including many clinical trials, rarely include data on video screen visualization. Given the nuances of using a video laryngoscope, this is a critical deficiency, which largely prevents us from knowing the treatment effect of using a video laryngoscope in clinical practice. Future studies of VL must address this deficiency.

The Association of Laryngeal Position on Videolaryngoscopy and Time Taken to Intubate Using Spatial Point Pattern Analysis of Prospectively Collected Quality Assurance Data

BACKGROUND

During videolaryngoscopy (VL), the larynx appears within the defined area of the video screen, and its location can be measured as a point within this space. Spatial statistics offer methods to explore the relationship between location data and associated variables of interest. The aims of this study were to use spatial point pattern analysis to explore if the position of the larynx on VL is associated with longer times to intubate, increased risk of a needing >1 intubation attempt, or percentage of glottic opening.

METHODS

Quality assurance data and clinical notes from all prehospital intubations using C-MAC Pocket Monitor with CMAC-4 blade (Karl Storz) from January 1, 2018, to July 31, 2020, were reviewed. We extracted 6 measurements corresponding to the time taken to obtain the initial and then best laryngeal view, time to manipulate a bougie, and time to place the endotracheal tube, as well a percentage of glottic opening and a number of intubation attempts. Larynx location was the middle of the base of glottis, in cm from the left and bottom on the C-MAC screen. Two plots were produced to summarize the base of glottis location and time to perform each time component of intubation. Next, a cross mark function and a maximum absolute deviation hypothesis test were performed to assess the null hypotheses that the spatial distributions were random. The association between glottis location and >1 intubation attempt was assessed by a spatial relative risk plot.

RESULTS

Of 619 eligible intubations, 385 had a video for analysis. The following time variables had a nonrandom spatial distribution with a tendency for longer times when the larynx was off-center to the top or right of the screen: laryngoscope passing from teeth to glottis, glottis first view to best view of the larynx, time from bougie appearing to being placed in the cords, and overall time from teeth to endotracheal tube passing through cords. There was no increased relative risk for >1 intubation attempt.

CONCLUSIONS

Spatial point pattern analysis identified a relationship between the position of the larynx during VL and prolonged intubation times. We did not find a relationship between larynx location and >1 attempt. Whether the location of the larynx on the screen is a marker for difficult VL or if optimizing the larynx position to the center of the screen improves intubation times would require further prospective studies.

Direct Versus Video Laryngoscopy in a Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Setting: A Retrospective Comparison

OBJECTIVE

Since the introduction of video laryngoscopy (VL) as a technique for orotracheal intubation, its use has become widespread among prehospital providers. However, little information is available about the efficacy and success of VL compared with direct laryngoscopy (DL) in the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) setting. The objective of this study was to investigate whether VL or DL increased successful first-pass orotracheal intubations and overall intubation success by HEMS providers.

DESIGN

A retrospective chart review was performed on adults intubated by a HEMS program from January 2015 to July 2017. All orotracheal intubations with at least 1 attempt were included. Excluded were emergent cricothyrotomies, nonintubated patients, and those intubated before HEMS care.

RESULTS

DL accounted for 21 intubations, whereas VL was used for 150 intubations. Nineteen of 21 (90.5%) DL intubations were successful on first pass, whereas 127 of 150 (84.7%) VL intubations were successful on first pass. The overall success rate was 90.5% for DL and 92.7% for VL. For both first-pass and overall success rates, the differences between modalities were not statistically significant. DL and VL had nearly identical complication rates, with hypoxia being the primary complication in both groups.

CONCLUSION

No statistically significant difference was found in the first-pass rate, the overall success rate, or complications between DL and VL.

Drug-free tracheal intubation by specialist paramedics (critical care) in a United Kingdom ambulance service: a service evaluation

BACKGROUND

Drug-free tracheal intubation has been a common intervention in the context of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest for many years, however its use by paramedics has recently been the subject of much debate. Recent international guidance has recommended that only those achieving high tracheal intubation success should continue to use it.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective service evaluation of all drug-free tracheal intubation attempts by specialist paramedics (critical care) from South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust between 1st January and 31st December 2019. Our primary outcome was first-pass success rate, and secondary outcomes were success within two attempts, overall success, Cormack-Lehane grade of view, and use of bougie.

RESULTS

There were 663 drug-free tracheal intubations and following screening, 605 were reviewed. There was a first-pass success rate of 81.5%, success within two attempts of 96.7%, and an overall success rate of 98.35%. There were ten unsuccessful attempts (1.65%). Bougie use was documented in 83.4% on the first attempt, 93.5% on the second attempt and 100% on the third attempt, CONCLUSION: Specialist paramedics (critical care) are able to deliver drug-free tracheal intubation with good first-pass success and high overall success and are therefore both safe and competent at this intervention.

Higher pre-hospital anaesthesia case volumes result in lower mortality rates: implications for mass casualty care

Senior physicians with a higher pre-hospital anaesthesia case volume have higher first-pass tracheal intubation success rates, shorter on-site times, and lower patient mortality rates than physicians with lower case volumes. A senior physician's skill set includes the basics of management of airway and breathing (ventilating and oxygenating the patient), circulation, disability (anaesthesia), and environment (especially maintaining core temperature). Technical rescue skills may be required to care for patients requiring pre-hospital airway management especially in hazardous environments, such as road traffic accidents, chemical incidents, terror attacks or warfare, and natural disasters. Additional important tactical skills in mass casualty situations include patient triage, prioritising, allocating resources, and making transport decisions.

Pre-hospital management of penetrating neck injuries: a scoping review of current evidence and guidance

Penetrating injuries to the neck pose a unique challenge to clinicians due to the proximity of multiple significant anatomical structures with little protective soft tissue coverage. Injuries to this area, whilst low in incidence, are potentially devastating. Respiratory, vascular, gastro-oesophageal and neurological structures may all be involved, either in isolation or combination. These injuries are particularly difficult to manage in the resource poor, often austere and/or remote, pre-hospital environment. A systematic scoping review of the literature was conducted to evaluate the current available research pertaining to managing this injury profile, prior to the patient arriving in the emergency department. The available research is discussed in sections based on the commonly used trauma management acronym ‘cABCD’ (catastrophic haemorrhage, Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability) to facilitate a systematic approach and clinical evaluation familiar to clinicians. Based on the available reviewed evidence, we have proposed a management algorithm for this cohort of patients. From this we plan to instigate a Delphi process to develop a consensus statement on the pre-hospital management of this challenging presentation.